Beyond The Years
by magical meli
Summary: 4 years later, after the war there is finally peace. Prince Zuko is now the new Fire Lord, with Katara at his side. But peace never lasts long, and Zuko and Katara will find out the hard way.
1. A New Beginning

Long ago, the 4 elements lived side by side. But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Finally, after a long 4 year battle, the avatar was able to defeat Fire Lord Ozai and bring peace to the land. With his father gone, Prince Zuko is now the current ruler of the Fire Nation, with his young bride of 2 years at his side; but not everyone is happy with the new arrangements.

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Chapter 1: A New Beginning

The sun slowly rose over the horizon as a fleet of ships made its way back to the Fire Nation. Aboard the main ship was a very agitated Prince Zuko. The atmosphere around him was tense and fiery and no one dared make any sudden moves.

After sailing for a month his mood was understandable. Even the sailors were getting anxious to set foot on dry land. But Zuko had other reasons for wanting to get home. He had someone waiting for him and he didn't want to keep her waiting too long, especially since he knew how she got when she was impatient.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the ships docked in the harbor. Prince Zuko was the first one off, seeing as he practically ran. He made his way to the castle, where a certain someone would be. He entered quietly, hoping to surprise a few people. He was half way down the hall when he heard footsteps coming toward him.

Slowly, the figure of a young woman came into view. She had very tan skin that seemed as soft as silk. Her hair was a dark brown and was currently tied back into a braid. Her eyes were a mesmerizing blue that shone brightly as she smiled. She wore the traditional Fire Nation robes that fit smugly against her form. Upon further examination the fact that she was pregnant became obvious.

"Zuko,' she said as she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. She buried her face in his chest and inhaled, as if reassuring herself that he was in fact standing there.

"Katara," he said as he nuzzled her and secured his arms around her waist.

She squeaked as he picked her up and began to spin her around. She kept her hands on his shoulders as she giggled, enjoying the ride. After so many turns Zuko fell over, bringing Katara with him. She landed on him with an "oof" and laughed with him as everything in the hall spun back into place.

"I missed you," she said as he helped her up.

"I missed you too, love," he said pulling her close and giving her a gentle kiss.

He pulled back and gazed into her beautiful blue orbs. She gazed back with warmth and compassion. She threw her arms around his neck once more and was content to stay there for the rest of her life. She mumbled something incomprehensively as Zuko nibbled on her earlobe.

Without so much as a warning he pulled back, took her hand, and lead her down the hall. Even after 2 years of marriage it never seized to amaze her how fast his mood's changed.

"I bet you're wondering what took so long," he said not bothering to look at her.

"Well, yes, I was," she answered unsure if she had said the right or wrong thing.

"The Earth Kingdom still doesn't trust us."

"But we haven't done anything to them."

"They think I'm like my father."

Katara suddenly came to a halt, pulling Zuko to a stop as well. He turned around and didn't even realize she was moving towards him until he felt her lips on his. He was too shocked to react and it wasn't until she pulled away that he regained his ability to move.

"You are nothing like you father Zuko. You have far more honor and integrity than he ever did. And you are an astounding leader," she spoke softly choosing her words carefully, "Don't ever doubt yourself, my love."

With that said, she left him to think things thoroughly. Just as she was out of sight, however, she turned and blew him a kiss. Zuko just stood there and watched as she walked away before shaking his head and chuckling lowly.

"Lord Zuko!" Came a shout from the opposite end of the hall.

He turned to see who it was and his eyes fell upon one of the servants running up to him. The servant kneeled before him before speaking, "Your lordship, you have a visitor."

"Who?"

"Commander Zhao, sir."

"Well then, let's not keep my visitor waiting... More than he has to anyway. Tell Commander Zhao that I'll be with his shortly."

"Yes sir."

Zuko smirked to himself as the servant went on to deliver the message. Zhao might have something important to say (or not), but it would have to wait. He had just gotten back and he had missed Katara greatly.

She hadn't told him where she would be, so following his instincts he made his way to their bedroom, hoping he wasn't losing his touch at so young an age (he was only 20 for god's sake). Sure enough, he found Katara in their bedroom, sitting on the bed reading a book. She looked up when she heard the door open and smiled warmly at him when he entered.

"Hi," she said softly, reaching her hand out to him.

"Hey," he walked over, took her hand in his, and climbed on the bed, pulling her into his embrace.

She snuggled closer to him as he let loose her hair. While one hand played with a strand of her dark brown hair, the other one gently rubbed her belly.

"How are you?" He asked referring to the pregnancy.

"I'm fine now that you're here," she smiled at him as he entwined their fingers, "Just promise me that next time you go off somewhere to discuss matters that involve the peace of our nation you'll take me with you."

"I -----"

"Promise me Zuko," she said holding out her pinky finger from her free hand.

He sighed deeply knowing there would be no other way but to promise. Hesitantly, he linked his pinky with hers and looked down at her, "I promise."

She sat up and gave him a peck on the cheek before settling back down beside him. He lay there feeling her breath even out and watching as her eyelids drooped close. He knew she hadn't slept well in the month he was away because he hadn't himself.

He was content in laying there forever and would've fallen asleep himself had he not remembered his _visitor_ that awaited him. He laughed inwardly as he imagined the look on Zhao's face while waiting impatiently. He hadn't meant to get so caught up in the moment, but Katara had a gift of doing that to him. At any rate, what was done was done and waiting a couple of minutes (or half an hour) never harmed anyone. Slowly, to not wake Katara, he got out of bed and made his way to the study where Zhao, and any other visitor that he would get, was directed.

Just as he entered the study, he was greeted by a fire blast. He managed to dodge it and after putting out the flames on the door ("Those doors are expensive Zhao.") he came face to face with a furious Commander Zhao.

"Whoa, watch it there _commander_. You don't want to kill of your leader so fast, do you?" he said sarcastically knowing the answer to his own rhetorical question.

"What kept you, _my lord_?"

"I was having some quality time with my wife."

"You're _still_ with that waterbender?"

"Hey, that waterbender can probably beat your sorry butt."

"You truly are a disgrace."

"Takes one to know one."

The two men glared daggers at each other, the tension between the two growing every second. Each imagined the other burning in hell for eternity. Before he knew what happened, he saw Zhao sending a fire stream at him that would've hit its target had a water whip not disintegrated it into nothing but harmless steam. Both Zuko and Zhao turned to see Katara standing in the doorway, directing what was left of the water whip back into the water jug that was on the desk.

"I certainly hope that you were not trying to kill my husband, Commander Zhao," she said in her usual calm voice as Zuko made his way to her and wrapped his arms protectively around her ("Sick," Zhao muttered when Zuko bent down to kiss her).

"I thought you were asleep," Zuko said lifting her chin to look her in the eyes.

"The door slammed shut," was her simple answer joined by a smile and she saw the expression on Zuko's face. She turned to Zhao who forcefully kneeled before her.

"My lady."

"Commander."

"Fine day today."

"Please state your business, commander."

Zhao gave her a look that meant to kill before speaking, "As you might have or might have not already heard, the Earth Kingdom has little trust in us. They are ready to attack at any given moment."

"They will only strike if given a reason to."

"That's true, but----"

"Well let's not give them a reason to," she went on before Zhao could continue or Zuko could jump in.

"An excellent idea my lady," Zhao replied through gritted teeth. He moved to take his leave but was stopped by Zuko.

"Zhao, don't give the Earth Kingdom any reason to start a war. Otherwise _you'll _have two enemies: The Earthbenders and the Fire Nation."

Zhao glared one final time at Zuko before exiting without so much as a goodbye.

"Stuffy old man," Zuko muttered when he was sure Zhao was out of hearing range.

Katara playfully hit him on the arm before giggling herself. Zuko looked down at his precious wife and caressed her cheek.

"Come, let's get some rest. I missed my bed," he picked her up bridal style and walked to their bedroom.

Once there, he laid Katara gently on the bed and placed himself next to her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and sighed as he kissed her forehead, "Welcome home, Zuko."

"It's good to be home."

* * *

_I know what you're thinking: What about the other fanfiction? Okay, I am not abandoning that project. I just had this idea and... and... I couldn't help it! promised someone a fanfic with no mention of a Zuko kidnapping Katara plot so here it is! I don't think the word "kinapping" is even mentioned throughout the whole story (besides from the two mentions of it just now, but this is an author's note so it doesn't count). Okay, please review my new fanfic. And remember, Zuko is married now! And he's going to be a father! He can't be cold hearted **all** the time. And before I forget, let's do a little math. Let's pretend that Zuko was 16 and Katara was 14... So,16 plus 4 equals 20 and 14 plus 4 equals 18 . Oh my gosh, I am so smart (lol)! See, Katara is not pregnant at 14... Or 15, or 16, or 17._


	2. Beautiful Days

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Chapter 2: Beautiful Days

Several hours later, Zuko awoke to a warm sensation and Katara's slim, or not so slim, figure came into focus as he blinked away the sleep from his eyes. He heard her mutter something as she moved closer to him and subconsciously placed a hand on her belly.

He secretly smiled knowing that inside her was their child, hers and his. He never imagined that he would ever find himself in his current situation. Not only was he the ruler of the Fire Nation, but he was also married, to a waterbender that was his complete polar opposite nonetheless. As if that wasn't enough, she was also expecting his child.

He clearly remembered the day that she had told him she was pregnant like it had happened yesterday

Flashback-

He was in his study thinking over Katara's idea of forming an alliance with the Water Tribe when he heard a faint knock at the door. He didn't even get a chance to say "come in" before the doors swung open to reveal a weary looking Katara. She closed the doors behind her feeling his gaze on her every movement. She then turned to look him in the eye and tried to smile, but failed miserably.

"Zuko, we have to talk," she said, taking a few steps toward him.

"Can it wait?" he said coldly not bothering to look up at her.

"No," she responded, making him look up at her in surprise.

It was then he noticed her. He looked her over once, twice and saw something was really bothering her. Her form didn't radiate energy as it usually did and her blue orbs weren't as bright. He got up from his desk and walked over to her, lifting her chin to make her look him in the eye.

"What's wrong, Katara? You look pale," he spoke with a hint of concern. Had be been so caught up in his own world to not notice his own wife?

"Zuko, I'm..."

"Yes?"

"I'm pregnant," she immediately looked at anything but him.

He was at a lost of words and Katara took that as a bad sign, "I can get rid of it if you want."

"What? No! It's just... Are you sure?"

"Yes. I went to the clinic a couple of days ago and it was confirmed."

He didn't need to think about it any longer. Although his exterior didn't betray anything, inside he was ecstatic. He tried to act like a sensible man would but that was soon out of his mind as he picked Katara up and gave her a passionate kiss.

End of Flashback-

His memory was cut short when he felt something warm push hard against him. He looked down to see Katara trying to snuggle closer to him, pushing him to the edge of the bed at the same time. At this rate, he would fall off before she felt comfortable enough. He pulled her as close as humanly possible and noticed that even in her sleep she positively glowed. And he was proud to say she was his.

He bent down and nuzzled her neck making Katara let out a content sigh, but not waking her, much to Zuko's disappointment. He then decided another method of waking her. He climbed on her, as much as he could while she was pregnant, and nibbled her earlobe. Katara moaned softly beneath him. Her eyes flew open when she felt something hot on her neck and then a bite.

She tried to sit up but he task was impossible with Zuko on top of her. And he had recently busied himself with placing butterfly kisses on her neck. When he felt her relax he bit her playfully.

"Zuko, get off," she said, gasping as he repeated the bite.

"Why?"

She quieted down trying to think about a reason. Zuko looked down at her and saw that her expression was contorted into deep concentration, "You know, you don't have to answer that."

She blushed realizing that he knew she had actually been thinking about the answer to that. She tried to push him off but only succeeded in getting uncomfortable.

He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck. Her skin felt like porcelain against his, and he would know, "Your so delicious, Katara."

She playfully slapped him and gave him as mean of a glare as she could, "You pervert!"

He laughed, pretending like her slap had really hurt. He placed his hand over his abused cheek and put on a sad face. Katara ignored him and tried to get him off once more, "Zuko, come on!"

He ran a hand through her slightly tangled hair and placed his cheek next to hers. She rubbed her own cheek against his and sighed in defeat as he pulled her closer to him.

Eventually he left the need to let her go, especially since she had taken to hitting his chest, quite painfully. When he released her she sighed in relief. She got up and tried to smooth out the wrinkles that had formed in her robes but after running her hands over them for the 20th time she decided it would be best to just change.

She looked at Zuko, who was sitting on the edge of the bed yawning and stretching, and went to the dresser to pick out a new set of robes. She took her wrinkled ones off and was about to put on the new ones when she felt his hand run over her back. She stood frozen as he took the robes out of her hand and slipped them on her wordlessly. Then he wrapped his arms as best as he could around her and her inflated belly.

"You're beautiful," he said softly, placing his cheek next to hers.

"I blame you," she answered playfully, putting a hand over Zuko's.

They headed out hand in hand. Katara had pulled him into the kitchens where he watched her eat making the occasional comment about manners not fit for the fire lord's wife. All his comment resulted in, however, was getting a spoon thrown at him. He had dodged easily but wasn't so lucky the second time when she decided to throw her drink at him.

All in all, Zuko was enjoying his time at home. Each day he woke up next to his lovely wife and felt like he was in paradise. They would go out sometimes and it was often because she would take a reluctant Zuko with her shopping ("Are you done yet, Katara?"). For the most part they would just lounge around the castle enjoying each other's company. He knew Katara liked to spend time in the gardens, and that's where he found her today.

He tiptoed behind her, hoping to scare her a bit but it didn't exactly work. Just as he was about to pounce, she moved to the side enough to avoid him and make his stumble.

"Hello to you too, love," she said carelessly not bothering to look at him, but she did hear his groan of frustration and smiled.

He sighed in defeat and gave up on his surprise attacks. They never worked anyway.

"Let me guess, you sensed me with your bending?"

"Mm-hmm."

"I'll get you one of these days."

She bent down to pluck one of the many flowers, "Maybe sooner than you think."

He sat down on one of the man benches in the garden and motioned for her to do the same. She moved almost lazily and seemed to take her time.

"What's wrong?" He took no effort to hide the concern in his voice.

"My waterbending is fading." She gazed at some far away object and felt warmth wash over her as Zuko snaked one arm around her.

"How?"

"I don't know. The doctor said it might be due to the pregnancy, but I'm still not sure about that option. I mean, why would my pregnancy affect my bending?" She turned to him with curious eyes as if hoping he had the answer.

He shook his head, indicating that he didn't know the answer. She smiled weakly at him and laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. He entwined their fingers thinking about the fact that Katara would be vulnerable without her waterbending and at the rate things were going, that would definitely be a disadvantage.

He failed to notice when she removed her head off his shoulder and gazed at him.

"Don't worry Zuko, I'll be fine," she said reassuringly. She gave him a peck on the cheek before getting up to walk over to the water fountain.

He wouldn't worry for her sake. At least not in front of her.

"Maybe... We could go to the South Pole to see if they know what's wrong." He watched her eyes light up at the mention of her once home.

"And maybe we could visit your brother while we're at it." He saw her coming up to him and waited expectantly for her embrace, but it never came. Instead, he felt the coldness of water leaking through his clothes.

Katara laughed as she splashed some more water, making him stand up and stomp toward her.

"Katara, you know how much I hate water."

"Apparently not a lot if you married me."

"That's it, this means war."

"Let's see what Fire Lord Zuko has," she giggled but stopped abruptly when Zuko splashed water on her. She glared at him while he was busy laughing. She bended the water and threw a water ball at him. He growled and charged after her.

She ran as fast as she could, laughing the whole time. By the end of it all they were both soaking wet. She shivered as the sun set and the air became chilly. Wrapping his arms around her to keep her warm, Zuko led her inside to get cleaned up and ready for dinner.

When nighttime fell, they were both exhausted. Thy climbed into bed and fell asleep almost instantly, Katara in his arms and her head resting on his chest.

Morning came all too soon and he found himself burying his face in the pillows willing himself to fall back to sleep. He heard Katara, who was still sound asleep, mumble something. There was a knock at the door and he jumped out of bed to answer it before the person knocked louder and woke Katara.

He opened the doors to reveal the face of his Uncle Iroh.

"Uncle, what are you doing here?"

"I live here. And its nice to see you too."

"Shh! Not so loud! Katara's still asleep," he whispered pointing at the bed.

"Katara? Hello, Katara! Rise and shine sleeping beauty!"

Zuko glared daggers at him before turning to see Katara, who was now awake, yawn. HE looked at his uncle with expression that said "you are so dead" then went to greet his wife.

"I heard your uncle," she said as she stretched.

"You heard right."

"Good morning, Katara!" Came Iroh's cheerful voice from the doorway.

Zuko growled and Katara giggled.

"I'll be back." He placed a kiss on her forehead and left to talk to his uncle.

He motioned for Iroh to follow him to his study, where Katara couldn't hear him yell at his dear uncle. Once inside, Zuko looked ready to kill. Iroh wasn't phased though and continued to look as calm as always.

"What in heaven's name gives you the right to not only wake Katara up, but probably the whole castle!" Zuko shouted, sparks emitting from his tightly clenched fist.

"Commander Zhao took it upon himself to attack the Earth Kingdom. They have just declared war against our nation."

* * *

_OoOoOoh, my first cliffhanger! Well, not really. I had unintentionally made one in my first fanfic ever. I didn't even know I had doneit untilI got a review saying that it was a cliffie and I was like, "It was?" (lol). Anyway! This was pretty much a Zuko/Katara time chapter. And don't you just love Iroh? He's so hilarious! I seriously wonder how Zuko is even related to such a funny guy. Oh! They're showing that new Avatar episode tonight! Zuko was hot (no pun intended this time)! Not that he's not hot now (wink, wink). I can't wait! Oh, sorry, off topic. Things should get interesting in chapter 3. Don't forget to review! And remember, Commander Zhao is EVIL, capital letters and all._


	3. Too Good To Last

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Chapter 3: Too Good To Last

Everything froze and the birds that could be heard singing outside the window no longer chirped. Everything is his world was turning a shade of gray as he processed the information over and over again. Slowly, everything regained its color when he made himself believe that his uncle had just played a really mean joke on him. He started laughing and Iroh looked at him like he was a lunatic.

"You're funny, uncle," he said, forcing himself to continue laughing and not strangle his uncle for almost giving him a heart attack.

"I wasn't trying to be funny, Zuko," said Iroh.

Zuko turned to his uncle. There was no hint of a prank on his face. Zuko was now solemn. He took a deep breath and contained himself from slamming his fist into the nearest object, in this case, his uncle.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his eyes closed in concentration as he continued to stay as calm as possible.

"Would you really doubt something like this from Zhao?" was Iroh's respond, who had walked over to the window.

"No, but... He was here just a couple of days ago! Maybe... Maybe you heard wrong."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you nephew, but what I just told you is the truth."

Zuko was furious and unable to contain himself any longer, he slammed his fist into his desk, which was immediately set on fire. Zhao had possibly just triggered what he had been avoiding in the years of being fire lord. Katara would not take well to the news...

"Katara!" He thought out loud. He turned to his uncle, who was looking at his curiously, and advanced on him, "Uncle, promise me that you won't mention a word about this to Katara."

"But Zuko----"

"No! I'd prefer if she doesn't know if she doesn't need to," he spoke without meeting his uncle's gaze.

Without another word, he stormed out of the study. He had to prepare his army and warn the nation of any future threats... All without letting it slip to Katara.

On his way to the docks, he was so caught up in his thoughts that he failed to see Katara in front of him and only noticed her when he ran into her. On instinct, is arms wrapped firmly around her waist before she fell. Before she could say a single word, he let her go and walked off.

"Zuko?" she said softly, blinking in confusion.

"Zuko!" She said once more, a bit louder, but Zuko still paid no attention.

She stood dumbfounded in the exact same spot where he had left her. She knew Zuko was a bit cold at times, but this went beyond his usual behavior. He never ignored her before, even in his fits of anger. She sighed in defeat, continuing of her way to the kitchens ("A girl has to eat."). Half way to her destination, however, she heard someone call out to her.

"Katara!"

She looked around and saw Iroh waving at her from the opposite end of the hall, his usual carefree expression in play. She stood in her place until Iroh finally made his way to her.

"Hello Iroh," she said, opening her arms to accept the embrace he offered.

"How are you today, my lady?"

"I'm fine, but..."

"Yes?"

"Is something bothering Zuko?"

Katara watched as Iroh's expression quickly changed. She tilted her head slightly, waiting for an answer. Finally, Iroh looked at her and smiled.

"Isn't something always wrong with the boy? Its just a mental health problem," he said, laughing at his own joke. He stopped when Katara didn't join in.

He placed a loving hand on her shoulder and said, "My dear, Zuko loves you very much, but as the ruler of this nation, he has issues to resolve."

"What kind of issues?"

I... I don't know myself."

She eyed him suspiciously, "You're lying to me, Iroh."

"I----"

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me. I'll just get it out of Zuko myself," she said in her normal, calm voice. She smiled, mischievously Iroh noticed, and gave him one last hug before continuing on her way to the kitchens, forgetting even if only for a minute about Zuko and that feeling that said he was hiding something very important from her.

Zuko was in their room, sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. All this talk about war was giving him a major headache and his temper was flaring, as was customary when he was under stress. He would have Zhao's head for causing all of this, and that was a promise. He got up and headed to the balcony. From there he got a perfect view of his nation. It was all so peaceful right now, but that wouldn't last long if he didn't do something about Zhao's little _mistake_.

As much as he wanted to incinerate something, he knew he couldn't risk it in the bedroom. If Katara came in and saw a pile of ashes where the dresser use to be she would get suspicious, or more if she wasn't already, and that was the last thing he wanted. She would probably try to drown him later for not telling her anything, but he reasoned that it was for the best.

He continued to enjoy the view from the balcony, having to wave occasionally at passing citizens. Everything was so calm. Too bad it wouldn't stay that way. From his current location he could see the harbor, all that served to remind him of what that he needed to prepare his fleet. He sighed, turning to walk into the bedroom.

"You really should tell Katara something. Otherwise you'll go crazy or she'll kill you when she finds out you hid this from her." Iroh was standing in the doorway, a cup of ginseng tea in his hand.

"I know, but that's why she won't find anything out," Zuko said confidently, trying to ignore the flutter he felt in his stomach.

"Find out what?" Katara was standing behind Iroh, who in surprise, had dropped his cup of tea. She moved to pick up the shattered tea cup but was stopped by Iroh, who shook her head, telling her that it would get taken care of later.

She walked into the room and straight up to Zuko. He noticed that she didn't seem to be in a very good mood, and that wasn't a good thing... Especially for him.

"What am I not suppose to find out, Zuko?"

"Uh... Uh.. That you're pregnant!" He mentally kicked himself for such a stupid remark.

"I've been knowing that for 4 months now, love." she said matter-of-factly, her voice carrying hints of impatience. "What are you hiding from me?"

Zuko looked over Katara at Iroh and pleaded for help. But he wasn't much help since all he did was shake his head. Katara saw Iroh out of the corner of her eye, and catching on to Zuko's plan, turned to him, "Iroh, could you please leave us along?"

Iroh bowed politely and smiled, "Certainly, my lady." He winked at Zuko, who glared, before exiting.

Katara closed the doors after him, turning to Zuko once she was sure he was out of hearing range. Zuko gulped loudly, seeing she was not too happy.

"We are not leaving this room until you tell me what's going on... Even it takes all night," she said calmly, much too calmly, in fact.

"Katara, it really shouldn't bother you. It's just nation stuff."

"Have you forgotten that I am also the ruler of this nation? Anything that has to do with it is my concern as well."

He couldn't argue, since she did have a point. But even so, he just stayed quiet, staring into her now fiery eyes.

"Zuko!"

"What do you want to know?"

"I want to know what's going on! Does this have anything to do with the Earth Kingdom?"

"Well... Yes."

"Go on."

"Zhao attacked them and now they're ready to start a war."

Katara's eyes widen in horror at the news, "And you didn't tell me this before! Zuko, this is serious! What are we going to?"

"_We_ are going to do nothing. _I'm_ going to handle this."

"But----"

"No Katara, you are not getting involved."

"Don't do this Zuko, don't shut me out, not now." She took his hands in hers and rubbed them fondly against her cheek.

He caressed her cheek and a for a minute she thought she had gotten through to him, but she knew she had been wrong when he pulled away, "I'm sorry. I have no choice."

He left before he could see the tear that slipped down her cheek. He didn't turn once as he walked off.

That night, before Zuko returned from who knows where, Katara decided to sleep in one of the guest rooms. She needed her space and apparently so did Zuko. She sniffled into the pillow as she thought that maybe she wasn't cut out to be the fire lord's wife.

When Zuko finally returned, he found the room dark and gloomy. He lit the lamp on the nightstand and saw that Katara wasn't there. He tracked down one of the servants and asked if they had seen her. He was informed that she was in the guestroom on the west wing and that was where he hound her. She was sound asleep when he entered, a small, content, smile playing on her lips.

Slowly, he lifted her up and carried her to their bedroom. The last time this had happened was a year ago, but that had been newlyweds back then. Being careful not to drop her, he opened the door to their room. Once inside, he leaned against the door to close it. He walked over to the bed and tried to set Katara down without waking her. But that didn't go according to plan. He set her down too roughly and she awoke with a soft gasp. Her eyes searched around for the cause of her sudden departure from the realm of the sleeping. When her eyes got use to the darkness, her eyes came to rest on Zuko's form and he could see her relaxing.

"Zuko," she said softly. She shivered slightly as the cool wing entered through the open balcony doors.

He got up to close them. Then he got rid of all the access clothing and climbed into bed with a pair of comfortable pants on. He felt around until he felt Katara. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he whispered, his warm breath tickling her neck.

"It's okay," she said, laying her head on his chest.

He closed his eyes, willing sleep to take over. He could hear Katara's soft breathing indicating that she was once more sleeping. He shifted around a bit, finding a comfortable position before slowly falling asleep.

Everything was well that night. They didn't know how long the calmness would last, but they would enjoy, or try to enjoy it, for as long as possible.

Finally, chapter 3! I would like to thank all those wonderful people who gave beautiful reviews and I'm sorry I took so long. Every time I wanted to update, I would start to type the chapter up, and one of my friends would IM me and distract me and I never got anything done. So you can blame them (lol). Okay, that's pretty much all I wanted to say. Keep those reviews coming and I'll give you chapter 4 soon enough. By the way, I got a new pen name! I got tired of the other one.


	4. Nothing's As It Was

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Chapter 4: Nothing's As It Was

Katara awoke to find herself alone, Zuko no where in sight. Moving with a pace that could math a snails, she got out of bed, got dressed, and did her hair. When she thought she looked presentable enough, she stepped out of the bedroom and looked around. She saw no one. Everything was quiet, almost empty. Her face didn't betray the fact that inside she felt abandoned.

She didn't want to seem desperate, but when she was half way to his room, she met up with Iroh. She delightedly ran up to him and gave him a warm embrace. He had to admit he was a bit taken back, but nonetheless, he hugged returned her warm hug.

"Good morning, Katara," he said cheerfully after the embrace ended.

"Good morning, Iroh," she answered with a smile before quickly adding, "Have you see Zuko?"

She blushed furiously, the hear of embarrassment radiating off her. Anyone passed by and didn't already know she was a waterbender would've thought she was a firebender.

"I'm sorry, its just that----"

"There is no need for apologies, my lady. I understand perfectly," he said, his voice full of sympathy for her current situation. "Zuko is down at the docks preparing the fleet." he continued after seeing that Katara was no longer uncomfortable.

"The fleet? Why? Is he going somewhere?" She didn't recall Zuko telling her anything about a trip. Then again, he didn't tell her anything these days.

"Didn't he tell you? He's going to the South Pole to ask he Water Tribe for their alliance in case things get... Messy," Iroh said calmly and by the look he saw on Katara's face, he knew she hadn't been informed.

Katara was devastated. Why hadn't Zuko told her the situation was that bad? How much more was he hiding from her?

Try as she might, she couldn't help the tears from spilling. She suddenly felt so useless and so out of place. Exactly the way she had felt during their first month of marriage.

Iroh felt sadness as he watched her try to hide her tears. More importantly, he felt a bit upset... At Zuko. He might be the fire lord, but he still had a lot to learn. Now was not the time for him to push away the only person that could help him get through this whole situation.

Unsure of what to do, Iroh gently placed a hand on the crying girl's shoulder.

Katara looked at him and gave a small smile after wiping away the last of her tears.

Iroh was about to say a few words of sympathy but never got the chance because just then came the shout of someone who seemed to be in a hurry.

"Uncle!" Zuko was practically running down the hall, but stopped abruptly when he saw Katara, his every movement under her surveillance

"Katara," he said, not daring to make any moves.

She didn't answer, she just walked toward him. He extended his arms for what he thought would be an embrace, but she just walked straight past him. Zuko watched as she continued on her way, not once looking back. He turned to his uncle and saw that he didn't look too happy.

"Care to tell me what's wrong?" Zuko implied, a bit harsher than intended.

"Zuko, you know how I hate to get involved in your personal affairs but..."

"Yes?"

"Stop doing this to yourself. And more importantly, stop doing this to Katara. She just wants to help." He watched his nephew think things thoroughly. He thought he had gotten into his thick head, but when Zuko answered, he was not pleased.

"I know she wants to help. And she can start by staying out of the way," he said, his voice cold and he face showing no sign of regret.

"Zuko, listen to yourself! Katara loves you!"

"Exactly! Uncle, I know that! I also know she's pregnant, or have you forgotten that not-so-small detail?" he exclaimed, his temper flaring by now.

With his first clamped tightly, he went on, "I love her too, which is exactly why I don't want her to get involved! War is not something a woman should be worrying about, especially a pregnant one." Without waiting for a respond, he stormed off.

Once he had more than enough distance between himself and his uncle, Zuko slowed his pace and began to look for Katara. He checked their bedroom and found no trace of her. He checked the guest wings (all 4 of them), the kitchen, and was desperate enough to check the study (he seemed to recall Katara saying she wouldn't step foot in there unless it was necessary), but found nothing once more. Finally, after half an hour of searching, he mentally slapped himself. She was in the gardens! How did he know? It was the only place he hadn't checked.

He walked around the garden ("Why did we make this place so damn big!") until he heard soft sobs coming from a distance. He followed them until he came to the gazebo located in the center of the garden. There, inside, sat a weeping Katara.

"What do you want?" she called out in a shrill voice, scaring him a bit. She quickly wiped away her tears and tried, but failed, to suppress an oncoming sob.

Normally, he didn't mind her using her bending abilities and the moisture in the atmosphere to sense things around her, but today it was unnaturally annoying.

Without thinking, and out of habit, he asked, "Waterbending?"

"No. My bending's gone," she said bitterly, giving him the impression that it was his fault.

Then he figured out why she was bitter. He remembered her saying a while ago that her bending was fading. He could've killed himself right on the spot for forgetting something so important. Some husband he was.

Thinking it was as good a time as ever, he slowly made his way toward her until he was standing behind her. He gently pulled her up from her position on the ground and turned her to face him. He saw her eyes were puffy from crying and her cheeks were tearstained.

Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her. When she didn't fight him off, he pulled her closer.

Katara didn't respond. She just stood still in his arms even as his placed his head in the crook of her neck. She didn't show it, but she was bursting with happiness to finally feel his touch after what seemed like such a long time.

"Your bending's gone." It was more a statement than a question. Still, she answered with a simple nod, which he felt more than he saw.

"That's one of the reasons I don't want you getting involved, Katara. You're vulnerable, and you're pregnant." he said, determined not to back down even though she was already upset.

She looked him in the eye and he expected to see bright, blue orbs. Instead, he was taken back when all he saw was pain. He felt like a monster, knowing he was the cause of all the pain.

"Zuko, I---" she started but was cut off when he placed a finger on her lips.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. It had been such a long time since he had apologized and it felt so weird.

She gave him a confused look that clearly read "For what?"

"I love you, Katara," he said, tightening his hold on her. Much to his relief, she responded this time. Her arms snaked around him until her hands where placed gently on his back.

"I don't want to lose you," he continued, taking the time to place a soft kiss on her neck.

"You won't lose me."

"Can you guarantee that?"

He could practically see as her mind worked to find an answer. But in the end, all she could give was a simple "No".

There was a forced silence between them. Each was in their own little world. He thought about how everything came to be and how he would keep Katara safe through it all. She thought about how much more she could take of Zuko's over protectiveness

Eventually, Katara couldn't take any more silence and was brave enough to break it.

"Zuko, I feel like you're abandoning me." she said promptly, getting straight to the point. After all, she had always been straightforward, something he admired about her.

He pulled back just enough to be able to look her in the eye, "I'm not abandoning you Katara, I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't get hurt!"

"Once again, can you guarantee that?"

"You're not being fair, Zuko! Can't I have a saying in this?"

"No."

She pulled roughly out of his hold and turned her back on him.

"Katara, I love you."

"So I heard," she said darkly.

Not everything she did or said shocked him, but this did. He knew she was upset, but he hadn't realized just _how_ upset. He tried to place a comforting hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it off.

This was getting them nowhere and he was losing his patience. In a desperate attempt, he pulled her around and met his lips roughly with hers. In the blur of the moment, Katara stood stiff. But after regaining her senses, she tried to push him off. She hit his chest with her fist but that didn't accomplish much. Deciding to conserve her energy for something else, she finally gave in and kissed back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He pulled back too look into her eyes for a minute before initiating another passionate kiss. She didn't struggle this time, letting herself believe everything was perfectly fine between them.

They both pulled out of the kiss only because of the need to breathe. He gave her a smile and was glad when she returned it.

"What's happening to us Zuko?"

He didn't reply, just kept his gaze on her. He knew the only way to keep her safe was to leave her out of this mess, but she didn't want to be left out.

Almost as it she read his mind, she said, "I don't want you to deal with this alone."

"There's not much choice. The battlefield is no place a pregnant non-bending waterbender," he said coldly, knowing he would regret his words sooner or later.

"Is that all I am to you? Zuko, I'm your wife!" she shouted, not really caring if her voice was loud enough to be heard indoors.

"Let's not go there again. Let's just forget about this whole thing for now," he said lowly, taking a step closer to her.

"She stepped back, shaking her head, "We can't Zuko. _I_ can't. It's really happening, _love_." She didn't wait for a reply. She ran as fast as she could, as far as she could, leaving him with a chaotic mind.

He groaned in frustration, his fist literally on fire. This was not what he had in mind when he had planned on talking with her.

* * *

Oh my gosh, I am so, so, so, so, so sorry for taking so long to update! And to show that I really am sorry, you get to pleasure of yelling at me as much as you want (just no name calling por favor).

Now, so you're warned ahead of time. The next chapter will take about as much time to come out as this one did. Please don't kill me! I'm too young to die! Oh, that reminds me of that episode! Where Sokka goes "I'm too young to die!" and then the old man says "I'm not, but I still don't wanna!" That was hilarious!

And did you guys see the new episode? I knew Zuko wasn't such a bad guy! Call me crazy, but I can sorta tell when a bad guy is truly bad or if he's just on the wrong side. In Zuko's case, he's just confused. Don't tell him I said that.

Anyway, please review! And I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed. I love ya'll so much.

One more thing, if there are any mistakes, please bare with me. I promise when i post chapter 5, I'll have everything edited, re-edited, and re-re-edited. Okay, maybe not, but I will edit.


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